Iniezione The newsletter of the NorthWest Alfa Romeo Club September, 2019 Going with the Flow The August Drive doesn’t go quite according to plan but is great fun! tart your Engines!” “Alfas up front, all the oth- er cars in the back!” I call to all as I slip into S my 4C for the drive. So we all set off after a brief Driver’s Meeting, with Debi Schmid recommending a slight detour along the way. 5 Mile Drive in Point Defiance doesn’t open until Noon on summer Sundays, so we had a detour to Dune Peninsula, a new park in the city of Ruston, just west of the new restaurants at Point Ruston and connected to Point Defiance Park. At this time I am up front, leading the Alfa convoy in my black n’ white 4C with seven cars trailing Zip, zip, vroom, vroom, we all went down the close behind. I know this route so curvy windy roads. My rear view mirror dances well I hardly bother to check the with the colors of my fellow Alfisti’s cars as they zip route directions that were handed through the twisty road, all gentle turns, everyone out to all, along with a miniature having fun. Then, as we almost glide into Dash “racing flag” as a memento of the Point, all the cars in my mirror disappeared! day. (Later on, those driving an Ok, what happened to the regular program? I Alfa Romeo received another flag. pulled over and waited, then finally went back to See, it really does pay to use your find them. Was this an un-scheduled restroom Alfa!) stop? Road repair? Gotta keep the group together, I was thinking. I pulled over after a few traffic lights to let drivers catch up, then sped on. I used my turn signals to help guide them through a few more lights, and soon we are all on Marine View Drive, having so much fun, taking in glimpses of the water on the passenger side of our cars. In this issue… * 8C Competizione ,,,,,,,,,.,..,, p 11 * August Club Drive ……... pp 1, 4 * Membership Update ……… p 12 * President’s Column .............. p 2 * Calendar ……….......……... p 16 * Brew Cruise ……………….... p 3 I soon found them, all cautiously waiting behind * Prova Motorsports ….…….... p 3 Next club events… Tony Schmid’s 1987 Spider Veloce, with Tony fix- * Alfa Day at Group 2 …... pp 4, 5 * Brew Cruise ……………. Sep 10 ing his down and out exhaust pipe. Harry Reed * Pittsburgh Convention .…..... p 5 * Half-Fast Lap ………. Sep 14-16 provided some baling wire, which Tony used to re- * Upgrading a Spider ……. pp 6, 7 * Maryhill Weekend ….…. Oct 5-6 hang the pipe. Meanwhile Tony’s wife, Debi, soon * Half-Fast Lap ……... …... pp 8, 9 * Prova Motorsports …...…. Oct 8 sat back down in the passenger seat, knowing full * Maryhill Weekend ,,,,,,,. pp 9, 10 well that Tony could solve any problem. Why * AROC Goes to USGP ……..p 10 worry? * Classified Ads ………….…. p 10 Back on the road, I let (continued on page 4) President’s Column By Fred Russell The Full Monte-rey door was our stop at Laguna Seca to eading to the Monterey peninsula for all the festivities visit the Rolex Motorsports Reunion; that make up one of the biggest, and definitely one of the mix of amazing and historic race- H the coolest, car weeks anywhere, it’s hard to imagine cars is fantastic. At the track you get that this happens every year. If you’ve gone, you know of up close and personal with the cars, what I speak. If you haven’t attended, it needs to be in your drivers and owners throughout the future. We have a few members who are regulars here so if paddock, and have numerous vantage you want to go, grab one of them and get expert advice so points to watch the cars racing on this great track. Don’t even you get as much of an experience as possible. get me started on the turn known as the Corkscrew. My enthusiasm was already high when I got a selfie from Friday evening was the Alfa Romeo invite-only party at member Michael Leonetti at the I-5 rest area and Mt Shasta Folktale Winery. Upon arrival, I immediately talked with Troy, viewpoint, with his silver Lamborghini Miura between him and a special events manager for FCA, then chatted with Ralph the mountain. His long-awaited car was running and taking Gilles, Head of Design at FCA and a really great Alfista. I him to Monterey. Shannon Low was also driving down in a also found Ant Anstead, co-host of Wheeler Dealers on Motor Porsche 928 while some of us were flying down. By Tues- Trend TV. He shared with me that there is a very cool Alfa- day, I was checked into my Monterey hotel with my fridge related project in the next season. I was so excited, I forgave stocked with snacks and milk and a bag of candy on the the fact that he refered to the Alfa 164 as a taxi. It was as the counter. I was ready to face Car Week. valet brought round my rental that Ralph, Ant and others Wednesday, I headed over to the parking area for Pebble started laughing out loud. My rental was a 15 passenger Beach entrants to check on the cars we were planning to dis- Chevy van. play on the lawn. We had a Lamborghini Miura to compete, Nicknamed the Prison Van, perhaps that was why security while Tazio’s Alfa P3 would display as part of the Scuderia let me go wherever I drove… everyone assumed I was the Ferrari show. I hadn’t picked up my event credentials which shuttle van. As a note, the van also worked great as a pho- include event tickets, parking passes and more, but I had no tography platform. Avis couldn’t find my reserved car so they trouble getting into wherever I wanted. I assumed they must gave me the van… despite the fact that 2 hours later they recognize me or something. Police moved barricades and sent me an email saying that since I “failed to pickup my car”, parking security waved me into even the closest lots… wher- they were giving my perfectly normal luxury sedan to some ever I wanted to go. Our guys were already at the cars and other customer. Wow. prepping the Miura. I spent time on the Alfa before heading The next two days were the busiest. At the goofy-cars Con- away to play. I checked out the Gooding Auction, then Cindy cours d’Lemons the most prestigious award was Worst in and I headed for Carmel for lunch and the “Prancing Ponies” Show, this year awarded to the ugliest Ferrari Enzo kit car car show… women-owned show and exotic cars. I’ve ever seen. My rental van would have been a close 2nd. Up early on Thursday to the start of the Pebble Beach Tour (Last year there was a GTV6 whose owner had used foil to d’Elegance. This is a chance for people to see many of the convert the rear window into a pizza oven.) Next came Con- cars that will be on the lawn on Sunday, out driving the way corso Italiano with its overload of amazing Italian cars. The the car Gods intended. The route takes participants down Alfa gathering is the biggest in North America each year. scenic Hwy 1 to the Big Sur area before returning to Carmel On Sunday we were at Pebble Beach Golf Course around for lunch. My niece, Cindy, and my friend Adam came along 5:30 AM as part of the Dawn Patrol, watching the Concours for the adventure. Scoping out where the photos will have a cars roll onto the lawn. We also got donuts and hats for our great foreground, middle ground and background, we found efforts. Then the Concours itself on the golf course, with our spot along the Highway. If you wave as the cars ap- stunning water views as a backdrop. There was also the proach they wave back, which makes for great photos. Casa Ferrari display where I stood by the Alfa P3 all day and Next, off to the Automobilia Show with tons of miniature shared the storied legacy of the 1935 German GP. cars, artwork, vintage posters, car parts, vintage tools, old Heading home after another great year of cool car events, books and much, much more. The parking lot had early Lam- memories of seeing an Alfa TZ or Giulia SSZ drive by on the borghinis, vintage Porsche, Alfa Duetto, GT Junior, Ferrari P4 roads, of lots of friends and great weather, we shared the replica and more before you got inside. Later, to the town of plane with Greg and Michelle Whitten, Roy Catz, my friend Pacific Grove for the Mini-Car Show with lots of small cars. Adam and Jack from VRM. Without a doubt, it is always a Friday meant visits to the Legends of the Autobahn treat to attend and for every event I attended, there were (German Cars) Show. Amazing and plenty of great cars three I didn’t get to see. Overload for a car geek. across the flowing grass of yet another golf course. Next - Fred Russell Iniezione page 2 September 2019 Next Club Meetings Board Members President Fred Russell September 10 Fremont Brew Cruise, Seattle (425) 308-6621 [email protected] Back to the Boat! restaurant as you look at it from the parking Vice President W Alfa Romeo Club returns to the area, in front of their outside seating.